Sugar and Spice
by xXCookieCrumbsXx
Summary: Ella and Nate are practically as different as salt and pepper, but somehow they make it work. A series of Natella drabbles.
1. Ella-bell

Ella-bell

I stared blankly at the movie playing, my focus elsewhere. Ella and I were having our ritual Saturday movie night, but she was almost asleep and I wasn't even paying attention. We'd been together for almost six months and with our busy schedules, sometimes Saturday night was the only time we got to see each other in a week.

Her head was resting in my lap and I was too preoccupied with playing with her dark hair to watch the third movie we'd played. I couldn't help but wonder how the amazing, small girl lying across the couch had put up with me for so long.

"Nate," she called sleepily, prodding my thigh.

"Hm?"

"The movie is over."

I looked up to find credits scrolling. "Oh." I lightly slid her off of me and stood up. "What do you wanna watch now?" Out of the corner of my eye I spied the clock displaying two in the dark room.

"Nothing," she groaned. "Let's go to bed."

With a tired grin I turned off the TV and scooped her into my arms, carrying her out of the room. "Alright, baby." I hit the light switch with my forehead and she giggled quietly.

We alternated between our apartments, and it was her week, so when I laid her down it was in her own bed. "Do you want to change?"

She shook her head, already settling on her pillow. "Come here," she mumbled.

I knew she would want me to sleep in her bed, but the request still made my heart beat a little faster. Instantly, she moved her head to my chest and got comfortable with a contented sigh. "Hm," she hummed.

I pressed a kiss to her hair before affectionately whispering to her, "Goodnight, Ella-bell."

A smile broke her face but her eyes stayed closed. "I love it when you call me that," she whispered.

I couldn't help the bit of pride that bubbled in me at her admission. I always considered it an accomplishment when I did something right in our relationship, especially if I did it without noticing. "Then maybe I should do it more often."

Her smile faded and her breathing evened out as I watched her fall asleep before she could respond.

* * *

The next morning we were rudely awakened by a loud door slam and a shout of "Ella!" as someone came down the hall.

Ella groaned and turned to bury her face in my chest. "Go away," she mumbled.

"Wake up sleepy head. Ooh, Nate's here." My eyes cracked open just enough to see my brother and bandmate, Shane, smirk from the bedroom doorway. "Late night, lovebirds?"

"Shut up," I grumbled. I moved to get up and let Ella leave, but she held me back.

"No, stay. I'm comfortable."

I had already known that this morning Shane was picking her up at 10:30 so Ella could take Shane's girlfriend, Mitchie, dress shopping. Ella was the favorite fashion consultant of the group. We hadn't set an alarm, but unfortunately Shane apparently had borrowed Mitchie's key to Ella's apartment and let himself in, thus waking us up at 10:30 on the dot.

"You have to go," I told her.

"No," she whined, looking to Shane. "Can't we do it later? What's with you and Mitchie? 10:30, really?"

Shane smirked with a shrug. "What can I say, we're morning people. It's one reason we get along."

When Ella continued to stay in bed, Shane marched over to us. "Come on, Ella-bell, we've got places to be."

I felt her tense in my arms and roll over slightly to face Shane. "What did you call me?"

He shrugged. "Ella-bell. I heard Nate call you it when we all went out a few weeks ago. I thought it was cute."

She glared slightly at him. "Only Nate is allowed to call me that."

I grinned brightly and turned to her. "Really?"

She nodded. "I'm only okay with it if you're the only one with the privilege. Shane, if you want me to get ready, go in the living room. You are also not privy to watching me change."

"Why does Nate get to watch you change?"

Her brow raised and I tensed just a little. "One, he's my _boyfriend,_ you moron." I held back a laugh. "Two, why do _you _want to watch me change?"

"Mitchie doesn't let me watch _her_ change," he pouted. I barely bit my tongue. Luckily Ella spoke before I could.

"That's your problem. Now get out of my room."

He grumbled and went back into the living room. I grinned and let her up. "I love that I'm the only one who gets to call you Ella-bell."

She smiled back at me. "Good. I do too."

Her shirt fell on the floor as she turned around, not caring a bit I was still lying there looking at her. "And I love that _I'm_ privy to watching you change."

She turned to glare playfully at me and I winked back at her.


	2. Cake

**No reviews? D: Review, please? **

Cake

"Hey Ells," I greeted when I heard the door slam behind me. "How was work?"

"It sucked. Did you get dinner?"

I turned sharply to face her. Ella had her days, but she was practically _never_ in a bad mood. At least not one that she let me see. "Yeah, Chinese is on the table."

Her precious work bag harshly hit the floor as I followed her into the kitchen and watched her start gathering what she wanted out of the open containers. "Did you have a bad day?" I asked gently.

She shrugged and started eating silently.

I sighed and sat next to her at the table. "Ella?"

"I don't feel like talking, Nate," she snapped. Ella had never snapped at me before that I could remember.

Surprised hurt flickered across my face for a moment and I recoiled. "Okay. I'll be in our room when you do."

I started to leave, only pausing in the doorway to remind her to put away the leftovers. After changing I sat in our bed, watching TV for over an hour before she finally stormed in.

When she didn't say anything I started hovering behind her as she changed and started pulling things out for her to wear tomorrow. "Ella?"

"What?"

"What happened?"

She turned to glare at me and I raised my hands in surrender. It irritated me she was upset and wouldn't tell me why.

After a moment she turned back to her closet and jostled things around looking for something.

"Did…someone mess something up? Did _I_ mess something up? Did…" I hesitated asking my next question, knowing it could very well upset her even more. "Did…your Dad call?" Her father had left when she was small, but occasionally he tried to contact her and it usually really upset her.

She froze before turning sharply to face me. "_No_ he did not, _Nathaniel._"

I sighed once again. "Ella, what's wrong?"

I bit my lip harshly, considering my last question. It could really piss her off if I was wrong, or even if I was right. But she was silent and angry and I really didn't know what else to do.

"Is it…that time…of the month?"

She tensed and faced me with a heavy glare. Her mouth opened like she was going to say something, presumably get angrier with me, but instead she let out a sigh and dropped her eyes to the sweater she was holding. "Maybe," she admitted quietly. I thought I saw a small blush on her cheeks.

She sighed and refused to look up at me. "My new assistant ripped _three_ dresses trying to fit them, I spilled all of my coffee this morning before I got to drink any of it, I was overbooked and stressed and I just didn't feel good today. Plus," she paused to pick up the skirt she had changed out of, "I got a _stain_ on this."

I smiled softly and finally took the step necessary to reach her. "We have some chocolate cake in the freezer. Do you want me to get you some?"

She was quiet.

"I could heat it up. We have some whip cream, too." I laid my hand on her arm softly. "El?"

She finally looked up at me with a small apologetic smile. "Yes, that would be great, Nate, thank you."

I grinned and leaned forward to kiss her cheek. "Of course baby."

A few minutes later I came back into our room bearing a large piece of chocolate cake drowned in whip cream and a fork. Ella smiled when I entered and pulled back the covers to let me sit next to her in bed.

"You're going to eat it in bed? Scandalous, Ells."

She giggled and started eating. "I don't want to go in the kitchen. Forgive me if I make a mess, dear."

I stole a finger swipe of thick icing and whip cream and stuck it in my mouth. "Forgiven," I mumbled.

She gasped and swatted my hand away when I went back for more. "No! This is my cake!"

She playfully glared at me and I glared back, catching her eye for long enough to steal the cake from her hands.

"Na-_ate!_" she whined loudly. "Give it back!"

"Are you sure you're twenty-three and not eight, Eleanor?" I teased, stopping her lunge for me with one hand and holding the cake out of her reach with the other.

She pouted at me and I laughed loudly. My lover was too cute for her own good. I took a forkful and held it up to her mouth. "Here." After a moment more of glaring at it she darted forward and slowly slid her lips over the fork.

While I was distracted watching her with a gulp, she somehow stole the cake back from me. She took a forkful and held it up to me, likewise. Taunting me with the gooey chocolate that was practically falling off the fork. As soon as I gave in and took the bite, however, she bolted forward and kissed me.

She giggled into the kiss as icing swirled between our mouths, and she laughed even more when she pulled away to find chocolate all over my face.

I pushed her back onto the bed and hovered over her. "That's some good cake," I whispered to her, kissing down her jaw and neck just to make her as chocolately as I was.

When I finally pulled back enough to see her, she nodded and forcefully stuck another forkful in my mouth. "Isn't it?"

Review?


	3. Questions

**Sorry it's been a few days. Reviews would help, if you want faster updates. This one is kind of bland, it's mostly dialogue and action. Thoughts, though?**

"Ella?"

"Hey," she greeted through a yawn.

"Are you okay?"

She pushed herself off the wall she was leaning against and nodded. "Just tired. Here are the outfits for tonight," she pushed three racks of clothes towards him. "I'll put them in the dressing rooms, okay?"

He nodded but took the handles of Shane's and Jason's clothing racks from her. "I'll take them. Sit down, Ella."

"But Nate, you have to get ready."

He lightly pushed her onto the couch. "Sit, Ells. I'll only be a minute."

When he came back less than five minutes later she was half asleep on the couch in his dressing room. He grinned and went to sit by her. "Ella?"

"Hm?"

His hand went to her hair, running through it and playing with the ends. "How late did you stay up last night?"

"Until four," she mumbled. "I had to finish a design…" her voice trailed off and he chuckled.

"Get some sleep, okay? I'll come get you after the show."

"Hm." She turned to lay her head on him and he bit back a wide smile. "Promise you won't forget about me?" she whispered.

He pressed a gentle kiss to her hairline. "I promise. I have to come in here to shower, anyway."

She didn't respond, fast asleep on his chest.

He made to get up but she whined in protest. "Nate…"

He kissed her hand and laid it down lightly. "I'll come get you after the show. I promise."

After the show Nate quietly made his way into his dressing room, the only noise being his heavy breathing as he gathered things to shower.

After a shower he came out and grinned at Ella, still asleep on the couch. He considered waking her up but decided against it and simply scooped her up in his arms and carried her to the bus. "Nate?" she mumbled as he laid her down.

"Hey sleepy head."

She smiled weakly at him and tugged on his arm. "Stay with me."

He glanced over his shoulder at where Shane and Jason where planning to leave to go to a party.

She saw where he was looking and her face faltered slightly. "Oh, nevermind. Go have fun."

He looked at her, seeing her making herself comfortable on her bed on the bus, by herself. "Where are Mitchie and Caitlyn?" he asked, desperately trying to rid himself of the guilt of leaving her by herself on the bus.

"They're going with Shane and Jason, I suppose. I'll be okay. I'm too tired. Go have fun."

He sighed and hesitated a bit longer.

"I wouldn't be any fun anyway, Nate. Go to the party with them."

Shane nodded for him to come on, but when he spotted Ella he nodded in understanding before shooting him a questioning look. _Are you coming?_

He looked between Ella and Shane once more before shaking his head at Shane and closing the door to the bus and sitting down next to Ella.

She looked surprised he was still there after the door closed. "You're going to stay?"

He nodded and motioned for her to scoot over. She did so and he laid down next to her on the small bed. "Get some more sleep, Ells."

She turned to bury her face in his shoulder. "I don't know, I think I'd rather take advantage of my alone time with the famous Nate Gray," she told him teasingly.

He chuckled, wrapping an arm around her and pulling her tight to his side. "Oh really? Take advantage of it how?"

She turned so her face was in the crook of his neck and he shivered at her breathing on his skin. "I don't know. Maybe tease him a little." She kissed his neck softly before pressing harder and nipping slightly.

He was silent for a few minutes and she pulled away to look at him. "I'm sorry. Was that too much?"

He shook his head. "No," he finally responded. "I just didn't know how to respond."

He smiled and she smiled back. "You could take it up a notch," she challenged, bringing her lips near his. "Maybe."

He smirked and breathed on her lips softly. "Could I? Really?"

She nodded, trailing her hand to his neck to play with the hairs on the back lightly. "If you wanted."

He pressed his lips to hers feverishly, slowly pushing her to roll over so he was practically lying on top of her.

"Nate," she called after a few minutes of kissing.

"Hm?" he asked, dropping his lips to her neck and leaving butterfly kisses to her collar bone and back.

"I have a question."

He pulled away enough to look at her but still keep her in his arms. "Okay. Shoot."

"Nate…" she took a shaky breath. "I love you. Do you-"

Before she could ask he kissed her passionately but quickly.

"I love you, Ella," he breathed. "I love you a lot. Does that answer your question? I want you to be _mine_."

She beamed at him and pecked his lips. "Yes. That does answer my question."

**Bad? Boring? Crappy?**


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